The Royal Servant
Chapter 2, The Rose Of The Garden

Author's Notes: Here it is, the next chapter. I am too lazy, I haven't even been working on my site when I said I would. *Sorry* It's just school and all this stuff after Winter Vacation. I should get my mind back on track soon *hopefully*. I have a Mailing List up, just subscribe and you'll get an e-mail everytime I update. Hope it helps. I got this new idea for these new fics, but I'll have to get a clearer image on these ideas. Thanx to all my readers, ya great! Oh and send me an e-mail at silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com. Oh yeah, sign my guestbook too. If you finish this chapter and you still haven't guessed who Ranko truly is, shame on you.
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Disclaimers: I don't own Ranma 1/2, Rumiko Takahashi does.
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Akane stood in shock, looking at the huge bedroom that belonged to the prince. A large bay window with wispy, blue curtains and clear glass window was in the center wall while an oversized fireplace was to the left side of the room. Two cushioned, velvet chairs faced the fireplace and a long velvet couch lined the wall. To the right corner of the room lay a velvet, much too large, cushioned-with-too-many-pillows, silk, bed. Two large doors were to the right of the bed and Akane assumed that must be where the closet was.
Turning back to Mrs. Wasuki she said skeptically, "You have got to be kiddin' me."

Mrs. Wasuki shook her head, "Nope, sorry, hon'. This is the prince's quarters."
"What is he? A giant of some sorts?" Akane asked hopefully, but Mrs. Wasuki just shook her head.
"And I'm supposed to keep this place clean and attend to him?" Akane clarified.
Haroumi Wasuki smiled and nodded.
"You're mean, mamees," Akane pouted, but Haroumi just patted her shoulder.
"I gave you the easiest job, dear, now, just start cleaning up and wait for the prince to come." and with that, the plump, old lady exited and closed the door. Akane sighed as she started cleaning up the room. *...and Shan said she wanted this job...*
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Akane had just finished cleaning out the fireplace and just starting on the bay window when the large doors opened. She turned and watched in surprise as two guys entered. They looked to be around her age though the second one looked slightly older. The first one was wearing blue silk pants and shirt with gold thread expertly sewn to form a fierce dragon on the side of the shirt. His blue-black hair was braided into one pig-tail on his back and Akane knew right away that this was the great Prince Ranma Saotome of Teria. She felt disgust rise in her throat. The second man had short, dark violet hair and was wearing a traditional black outfit of shirt and pants with the Terian symbol on the front. *He must be the prince's cousin...*

"-and make sure that the Queen Kasumi and King Tofu gets their regular royal guest suite down the hall when they arrive..." both men stopped their conversation to stare blankly at the girl by the bay window. A soapy sponge was held in her hand and the water dripped down onto the dark carpet, unnoticed. She wore the maids' uniform of a yellow dress with the Terian symbol on the front leaving no doubt in any of their minds' that she was a servant. Her small face was covered with soot, dust, and dirt and her dark brown eyes narrowed at them.

Akane dropped the sponge in the soapy water with a small *splush* before stepping from the bay window to Ranma and Aslen. She put her soapy hands to the yellow hems of her skirt and did an awkard, quick, ungraceful curtsy.
"Good afternoon, your highness, your grace," she greeted in a flat tone. Not disrespectful...but not respect either.
Ranma snapped out of his outright stare first and gave a charming smile at the girl before saying, "You must be my new maid. What is your name?"

Akane's eyebrows crinkled delicately *Why should he care what the maid's name is?...*, but she answered anyways, "Akane, your highness."
Ranma gave her a half-smile before saying, "None of that *your highness* stuff, you make me sound like my father. Call me Ranma, everyone does."
Akane's eyes held confusion, but she said, "Alright...Ranma."
Deciding this conversation was getting too confusing for her, Akane went back to work on the bay window.

Ranma talked to Aslen a little while longer before dismissing him. Leaning against the wall beside the bay window, he asked, "So, how old are you."
Having enough Akane put the sponge down before turning to face the prince.
"Look," she said, "Let's get one thing straight here. I am not your babysitter, I am not your bodyguard, and most importantly I am not your friend. I am your maid. Got it?"
Surprised by her tone, Ranma just gave her a confident grin, "Got it, but don't you think you should give me a chance? After all, the other servants didn't find me so bad to be friends with."

"And you've been friends with other servants before, have you?" Akane asked, one hand on her hip.
There was that cocky smile again, "Of course. I'm so charming, after all."
"I'm sure you are, but I have work to do. That's what your friends, the servants, do after all, so you'll have to excuse me, *Ranma*," she said adding emphasis on his name. Ignoring his chuckle Akane started on her work again. Too many times in the past had she seen young lords and royals sit flat on their butts and do nothing all day, but eat and wait for everyone else to do everything for them. She had seen a stupid lord's son, not listening to his bodyguard, and went into the forest alone. He got in trouble with warrior because he stomped on his honor and had the warrior give him a beating for it. The one that got blamed was the bodyguard. Akane rolled her eyes, *...the jerk probably can't even defend himself...*
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After Akane finished cleaning the bedroom and left it, she ran right into Shan Pu. Shan Pu saw her friend and pulled her up, asking excitedly, "So, how was he? What did he look like? Was he cute and handsome like they said he was? Was he a good martial artist? Was he-?"
"Well, a hello to you to Shan. Why I'm doing fine. Thanks for caring. It's so nice bumping into your best friend and have her asking how you were doing," Akane said sarcastically as she dusted herself off.
Not taking offensed on Akane's sarcasm, Shan Pu said, "Sorry, Ne-ne I should have been more considerate...now can you tell me what he looked like?"

Smiling Akane said, "Oh, he looked pretty normal...like an overpampered, spoiled, arrogant prince just like all the others we met. I don't get it Shan, why don't you be sensible and marry from the gyrpsies. Mu Tsu loves you so much."
Frowning, the other girl said, "He's too weak, Ne-ne! I need to get someone good enough."
"Listen, I would love to stay and chat on your choice of husbands, but I need to go. I'll see at dinnertime, bye," and before Shan Pu could answer, Akane was already gone.
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Hurrying through the gardens Akane went towards the bench and saw Ranko already sitting there.
"Hey," Akane smiled as she sat down beside her.
Ranko looked up and smiled, "Hey."
"Sorry, it took so long, I just got held up by my friend," Akane explained.
Ranko laughed, "The one that wants to marry the prince?" Akane nodded and Ranko laughed again.
"She does know the prince is engaged, right?" Ranko confirmed.
Akane nodded, "Mm hm, she just doesn't care."

"So, how was your first day working for the prince? Did you like him?" Ranko asked hesistantly, trying to sound non-chalant, though strangely, the answer was more important to her then she would care to admit.
Akane was about to say something, but then she stopped herself.
"Well, he was just as arrogant, egotistical, and overconfident as I thought he would be. His bedroom is so huge too!" Akane said, trying to change the subject.

"So, you didn't like him?" Ranko frowned.
"He was o.k I guess. For a prince, of course. There are guys out there who are way better anyway," Akane tried to convince herself and the other girl as she tried to ignore how dangerously handsome she had found the prince.
"Who?" Ranko asked. Akane wondered at why the girl seemed insulted.
"Oh there's a number," Akane began counting off her fingers, "There's Mu Tsu, Ryo, Tenchi, Fie, Endy-"
"Okay, okay, I get the point," Ranko scowled.

Akane smiled, "So, who's servant are you?"
"I am Teria's servant," Ranko replied softly.
"Aw, you're no fun. Little Miss. Mysterious," Akane teased, but Ranko just gave her a weak smile.
Feeling uncomftorble, Akane changed the subject, "What's your favorite flower?"
"I don't know, I don't really like flowers," Ranko admitted truthfully.
Scrunching her eyebrows again Akane asked, "Then why are you always in the gardens?"
Turning to Akane, the other girl shrugged her shoulders, "It's the only place I get peace. If I could get peace in a dump, I dare say I would stay there too."

Looking over Ranko's face, Akane saw past the indifference to see a deep, lonely abiding hurt. The gypsy, suddenly, felt a warm connection with this girl for she felt the same hurt too before. Years before when she had to stay at an old widow's house for 5 months when the Gypsy adults had to go off on one of their trips and leave the kids behind. Those were the worst 5 months of her life, where the widow laid so many restrictions for her. The widow tried to make her a lady. Everytime Akane had tried to do something that would make her happy, the widow would make her stop. Sort of like trying to fly, but having someone cut off your wings everythime. The young gypsy looked at her friend and wondered if someone had clipped off her wings.

"Do you have any family?" Akane asked.
Ranko nodded, "Uh huh."
Taking a guess, Akane asked hesisitantly, "Are they the ones keeping you here?"
Smiling regretfully, the redhead shook her head, "No...yes...maybe, but more of it is really responsibility. Responsibility, honor, and duty."
Not expecting a gypsy to understand such a concept, Ranko just turned away.

After awhile, Akane said, "I bet you those royals don't have responsibilies."
Scowling, Ranko snapped, "What do you have against royalty anyways? Was it there choice that they were born into privilege? Have you ever even thought that maybe, just maybe, some of them would rather be common and be free?"

Taken aback by the surprise onslaught Akane was too shocked to reply. Yet, how was she supposed to make the other girl understand her dislike for the wealthy and powerful? How to explain to her about the lords and ladies looking down on their noses at her people? How to make her understand that one of these people of the higher class had abandoned their own daughter? How to explain her own hurt and pain...at having her parents think she wasn't good enough and left her to rot, if it hadn't been for the gypsies? Akane couldn't remember her parents or her younger years. She just remembered hiba-chan telling her of how they found her in ripped, wealthy, clothes unconscious by a rock with a bleeding head. They said her small fist had held on tight to a gold medallion with her name imprinted on it, proving hse really was from a wealthy family. Cologne had told her that the only reason she took this girl in was from the strong vibe she felt from her.

The two of them sat in silence until Ranko whispered, "Akane, d-do...do you believe in curses?"
Akane nodded, "Yeah, being a gypsy, I have to."
After a paus, Ranko asked wistfully, "Do you...do you believe anyone, nomatter who, is bad enough to deserve a curse for the rest of their lives?"
Now, Akane was not stupid or ignorant so she asked carefully, knowing she was walking on dangerous ground, "Are you cursed, Ranko?"
The other girl nodded.
"What is it?" Akane asked.
"Promise you won't be angry?" Ranko asked hesitantly wondering why she should tell Akane at all. The short-tempered girl would probably get angry anyways, but Ranko knew she would be even angry if she found out later.


Akane nodded wondering what she could possibly be angry about. After all, she'll probably feel pity for the girl because if any human did anything bad enough to get cursed, it probably won't be pretty. Not something as simply as turning into a frog or like that. It will be something from one of their deepest fears brought to life so that they would regret it the rest of their lives. Once a strong, powerful, undefeated knight who was a little overconfident had made fun of a sprite's weak son and she got even. She didn't take his strength away or killed him. No, what the sprite did was made the warrior lose to a boy, barely over 5 years, in an arm-wrestling competition. Once, only once, but once was enough. The warrior lived the rest of his life with the failure of losing to a boy eating at his mind until he couldn't take it anymore and killed himself. Curses weren't taken very lightly in this realm and once one was given, the person would really, truly regret it.

Akane snapped out of her thoughts at Ranko's small, defeated voice, "You would not believe this, but..." taking a deep breath, Ranko blurted out, "I'm a boy."
Akane just stared blankly at her, the realization not hitting her yet so in a puzzled voice Akane asked, "You mean you're cursed to turn into a boy?"
Seeing this was harder then she thought it would be, Ranko shook her head and explained, "No, this is my cursed form. I'm originally a boy, I was cursed to become a girl."
"Oh," Akane said, but then, suddenly, the full understanding hit her and Akane's jaw dropped as her innocent eyes widened, "Oh!"

"Yeah, I'll understand if you won't want to be my friend anymore," Ranko said, a regret in her voice. *Honesty sure sucks...* she...or rather, he thought.
Akane smiled understandingly, "Now, why would you say that. I have a lot of guy friends with curses...though none of them turns into a girl. Don't worry. I'll still be your friend. The only people I don't be friends with are royalty."
"Great," Ranko said nervously. *This is great...just great...* Ranko thought sarcastically, Akane's words still in her mind.
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Akane scurried into the already crowded kitchen and ran up to Haroumi.
Spinning around, Haroumi scolded her kindly, "Where have you been to, girl? I was about to send someone else to feed the prince. He has a big appetitie, you know and is very impatient when it comes to food," seeing Akane about to say something Mrs. Wasuki warned, "Don't you dare say 'just like them royals' or anything like that, you hear? The prince and queen are nice people. I don't know about that King Genma though, he seems a little bit wrong in the head, if you get my meaning."
Akane didn't, but she just nodded and kept quiet as she took the heavy tray.
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Entering the great Dining Hall, Akane was awed by it's size and how crowded it was. *Was it like this at every meal?* She sincerely hoped not. Akane lined up against the wall just like the other servants holding the hot, silver tray. Spotting Shan Pu across the room by a wall, Akane flashed her a smile. A lady in a red, velvet, long dress with a confident poisewalked up to the chair beside the head of the long table and Akane knew without a doubt that she was the queen.
Nodoka rang the bell and said in a loud voice that carried throughout the large room, "Dinner, everyone take a seat.

Ranma sat to the right of his father and the lft of his fiancee. Half-listening to Ukyo chatter on about how ridiculous some lady was dressing, he kept his eyes and attention riveted on a dark-haired girl by the wall.
"...so how's your new maid?" Ukyo asked, oblivious to Ranma's sudden snap of attention at her question.
Trying to hide his sudden wash of guilt, which he felt surprised at feeling, Ranma tried to sound nonchalant, "She's okay, I guess."

Akane walked with the other servants towards Ranma's seat and put the tray of food in front of him. Then, imitating the other servants, Akane waited behind his chair for any further orders.
Ukyo looked up at Ranma's new maid and assessed a critical eye over her as if she was trying to find the worth of an object. Akane was getting uncomftorble under the gaze and was just about to glare at the lady, but Ukyo suddenly flashed her a brilliant, sincere smile.
Akane hesitantly smiled back at her and had Ukyo snap, "Don't smile, maid, you're supposed to be stone-faced and not look me in the eye.

Turning back to Ranma, Ukyo smiled conspiriously and whispered, "I like her."
Inwardly, Akane smiled and knew that she was going to like this lady even if she was to be future royalty. There was just something about Ukyo that made Akane know she was a kind spirit.

The dinner continued on with quiet and sub-dued conversation filled with fake smiles and fake laughs. Akane found that she couldn't wait to get out of this place to the servant's dinner that was filled with loyd voices, arguments, and laughter with flying food and drinks and sometimes fistfights. Everything was out in the open and therefore nobody held any true hatred for anyone else unlike this place. Akane could almost feel the hatred and fakeness of the room closing around and choking her. She felt pity for these people.

The large Dining Hall doors opened and a tall, graceful, kind-faced, beautiful, brunette lady glided in on the arms on a tall, mature, man. Everyone looked up to stare at the intruder and the lady blushed, obviously not knowing a dinner was going on. Akane looked at the lady and felt a strange pang of pain hit straight to her heart. *Who is she? What's she doing here?* Akane wondered. The answer to her questions came when the Queen stood up and gave a big, genuine smile as she walked over and hugged the girl as she said, "Oh, you came Kasumi! I thought you wouldn't for a moment. I'm so happy that you did."

Kasumi smiled apologetically at her Nodoka before saying, "I seem to be intruding on your dinner, Auntie. I'm terribly sorry."
Turning her eyes toward the guests, Kasumi smiled at all of them. When her eyes reached Akane, all blood drained from her face as she gripped her husband's arms painfully. Suddenly, the Queen Kasumi's eyes rolled to the back of her head as she fainted.
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Author's Notes: If you still don't know who Ranko really is...well...*Max-chan shakes her head in pity*